A remarkable collection of Scandinavian academic theses or dissertations (or in two cases editions that served to promote a scholars appointment as a professor) on the Middle East and the Islamic world, mostly printed in the second half of the 18th century. Most are very rare, many known only from three or fewer copies. The praeses (advisor) played a greater role in the production of a thesis than they do today, often choosing the topic and even writing much of the text, so that the praeses and the respondent (the student who defended the thesis to attain a degree) prepared the publication together more-or-less as co-authors. The present collection includes the works of the principal Swedish orientalists of their time, mainly teaching and publishing at the universities of Uppsala and Lund, the great Matthias Norberg (1747-1826) serving as praeses for twenty-two of the theses. The topics covered include medicine in the Middle East, dietetics, history, linguistics and literature, education, and the erudition of Middle Eastern rulers. Examples include dissertations on leprosy in Arabia, the caliphate government, the sacred bee of ancient Egypt, the Nazarenes (first-century followers of Jesus who also retained their devotion to the Torah), several aspects of the Arabic language and dialects, etc. Some of the dissertations are editions of translations of oriental writings. Examples are a Latin translation of a part of the Bakthiyar namah (ten viziers), here issued in two parts, and an edition and translation of the Lebanese Maronite Germanus Conti's notes on viniculture and the wine press in the Orient. The theses are listed below with the names of both the praeses (listed first) and the respondent (listed second). Altogether this varied collection of theses gives a beautiful overview of the diversity and richness of oriental studies in the 18th and 19th century and Scandinavias important role in those studies. For a more detailed list of the 40 theses (including the 2 duplicates), their contents and their condition, please send us an inquiry.